It's time to stop giving more rights to global corporations
June 14, 2018:
This article on the TPP-11 by Dr Patricia Ranald was published in the Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times.
Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is a massive free trade agreement involving Australia and ten other Pacific Rim countries, which reduces our democratic rights while increasing the rights of global corporations. The TPP is bad for:
- Democracy. It allows global corporations to sue governments over health, environment and public interest laws. Read more.
- Workers. Contains no real protection for labour rights or migrant workers, and removes labour market testing for temporary migrant workers. Read more.
- Essential services: locks in deregulation, promotes privatisation and prevents future governments from regulating in the public interest, Read more
- The environment. Lacks enforceable commitments to key international agreements, does not mention climate change and allows corporations to sue over new environmental laws. Read more.
- Internet users. Locks in strong rights for copyright holders at the expense of consumers and internet users. Read more.
After six years of community campaigning, the withdrawal of the US in January 2017 meant the original TPP-12 could not proceed, but the 11 remaining governments suspended some clauses and rebadged it as the Comprenensive Progressive TPP or TPP-11, which was signed in March 2018 and approved for ratification by the Australian Parliament in October 2018, If six of the eleven countries ratify it before the end of 2018, it will come into force for those countries in 2019.
For in-depth analysis and resources, including AFTINET’s submissions to parliamentary inquiries, click here.
Updated October 2018
Malaysia to reconsider TPP-11
June 12, 2018: Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, last Friday made a brief but stunning statement in a media conference in Japan that he will review the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP-11.
Dr Mahathir said he believes weaker economies like Malaysia are at a disadvantage under the current terms, "It is important to take into consideration the level of development of a country."
Community organisations urge new Malaysian government to reconsider TPP-11
Wednesday 6 June 2018: Martin Khor from the Third World Network (TWN) and the Consumer Association of Penang, has urged the new Malaysian government to reconsider support for the TPP-11, and trade policies more generally.
Say NO to TPP-11 on June 15
The TPP-11 has been tabled in Parliament and is being reviewed by a joint committee dominated by the government before consideration of the implementing legislation. We have succeeded in getting a Senate Inquiry on which the government does not have a majority and are campaigning for the Senate to reject the TPP-11 implementing legislation.
The government-dominated joint committee is meeting at 1 Bligh St, Sydney, on June 15.
Join us for a protest on Friday June 15
12.30-1.30 pm
Farrar Place, Sydney
opposite cnr Bent & Bligh Streets,City
(nearest station Circular Quay)
Share our Facebook event and printable flyer.
Why Trudeau supports ISDS: protecting Canada’s mining sector
18 May 2018: A new book by Canadian writer Joyce Nelson, Bypassing Dystopia: Hope-filled Challenges to Corporate Rule, gives insight into the Canadian government’s dogged support of Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). It has been reviewed by journalist Damien Gillis here.
Trump threatens Australia’s affordable medicines through trade deals
May 14, 2018: US President Donald Trump last Friday ordered his Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, to end “freeloading” and force trading partners to increase prices they pay for US pharmaceutical exports.
This policy results from the US pharmaceutical companies absurd and unproven argument that if other governments abandon their affordable medicine policies and agree to higher prices, the companies would then lower their prices in the US.
US still wants ISDS out of NAFTA, despite business lobbying
May 8, 2018: According to an Inside US Trade report dated May 3, Investor-State Dispute Settlement is still a key issue at the current session of North American Free Trade Agreement talks between the US, Mexico and Canada. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer appears determined to opt out of ISDS provisions, while big business groups are frantically lobbying to retain them.
Picketty call for total re-think on trade agreements to defeat Trumpism
April 30, 2018: Celebrated French economist Thomas Picketty’s response to the ‘shock’ of Trump’s trade policy, calling for all new trade agreements to address inequality and climate change, has been republished as Trump intensifies his trade war this week.
AFTINET submission to the Joint Committee and Senate inquiries says no to the TPP-11
3 May, 2018: AFTINET's full submission to the Joint Committee and Senate inquiries into the TPP-11 is available here, and summarised below. The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties is due consider submissions, hold public hearings and report on August 22, but the government may attempt to cut short the process. The Senate inquiry is accepting submissions until May 31, and is due to report on September 18. Parliament will then vote on the implementing legislation.
Petroleum ISDS cases pose major threat to climate action
April 23, 2018: ANU academic Dr Kyla Tienhaara has published research in the Journal Transnational Environmental Law showing that mining and energy industries are the most frequent users of Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms heard by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID), one of the two main tribunal systems that hear ISDS disputes. This poses a threat to effective measures to rapidly reduce carbon emissions.